The present invention relates to improvements in an air bag door fastening structure for a vehicle.
An air bag apparatus is sometimes provided, for a driver's seat or passenger's seat.
Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No. 1932/1976 discloses a structure for providing an air bag apparatus inside an instrument panel in a passenger compartment.
In this system, a bag developing gas generator is covered with an air bag cover, and the air bag cover is clamped by screws at an instrument panel. The air bag cover is formed with a row of holes so that the air bag cover is readily collapsible when the bag is developed.
Thus, a row of holes of the air bag is visible in the visual field of the passenger to provide wrong external appearance.
FIG. 5 shows an air bag fastening structure which does not have such a drawback. In FIG. 5, reference numeral 1 designates an air bag door, which is coupled at its upper end through hinges (FIG. 2) with an instrument panel 2 and at its lower end through breakaway members 3 with the instrument panel 2. In the instrument panel portion, nuts 5 are welded to a frame 4 at the positions corresponding to recesses formed on the lower end of the air bag door 1. Threaded holes 6 are respectively formed in the recesses of the air bag door 1.
Each breakaway member 3 made of synthetic resin is formed with a contracted portion 11 at the center thereof and with openings 7 and 8 at both sides thereof, and clamped by screws 9 and 10 at the threaded holes 6 and nuts 5.
Thus, an air bag apparatus body is ordinarily concealed by the air bag door 1. The breakaway member 3 is collapsed at its contracted portion 11 by means of the developing force of the air bag when it operates, and the air bag door 1 is thus opened so that the air bag is developed between the passenger and wind shield.
In this system, reference numeral 12 designates a door for a globe box.
This conventional breakaway member 3 is, however, not bent in a direction that the air bag door 1 is opened.
Thus, the clamping works of the air bag door 1 to the instrument panel are complicated. Further, a bent portion 13 must be formed at an acute angle at the air bag door 1.
In this system, it is necessary to increase the contracted portion 11 of the breakaway member 3 to be readily collapsed at an emergency time of the vehicle, but if the contracted portion 11 of the breakaway member 3 is increased, there is a possibility that the breakaway member 3 might be collapsed by a vibration at ordinary time.